I still haven't got 100% acclimated to the clutch on my stang and I've had it a year and a half. Don't know why. I drive it ok, but I'm not 100% smooth. Just curious if there are any of you out there that can drive your manual as smooth as an automatic. I know that's hard to do, but I was able to do it in my old honda civic - if you rode with me and had a blindfold you wouldnt know if i was driving a stick or auto.
ill shift with or without hte clutch and you wont even notice that im shifting.. just a constant acceleration.. out of all my friends (not to be conceited) i havent rode with anyone who is as smooth as me
_____________________________
05 V6 black,std, red int alpine CD9835 10" rockford P2 directedaudio x2600 amp xenon rear window scoops eibach pro-kit Dual GT take offs
I was able to do it to my old 85 2.8L camaro but I drove that around for about 6-7 years compared to 1 year. Never really tried to get it to shift smooth like an auto.
_____________________________
Procharger 298whp 299wtq @7 psi wintertune 301whp 300 wtq @9-10 psi summertune JBA Exhaust (X pipe) JBA Headers ADC Custom Tune Steeda Shifter CHE LCA's, UCA CHE K-member Brace(to be installed) 3:73's & tlok PH Driveshaft
I was practicing with her today and I found that if I held the clutch for about 2 seconds at the sweet spot the car would engage the gear very smoothly. As far as accelerating from a stop in first gear smoothly, I have a loooooong way to go on that :)
My shifts are warm and smooth, like a laminated baby's bottom. A passenger once told me they could barely tell I was driving stick.
You need to be extremely slow with the clutch for smooth starts. The way I finally figured it out was by telling myself to hold the clutch in position as it starts to catch, then move it all the way out after the engine pitch stabilizes.
I actually bought this car brand new without knowing how to drive stick. The key to having smooth shifts and smooth starts was to do everything slowly.
_____________________________
Black 2006 Mustang, manual transmission, single GT takeoff
My shifts are warm and smooth, like a laminated baby's bottom. A passenger once told me they could barely tell I was driving stick.
You need to be extremely slow with the clutch for smooth starts. The way I finally figured it out was by telling myself to hold the clutch in position as it starts to catch, then move it all the way out after the engine pitch stabilizes.
I actually bought this car brand new without knowing how to drive stick. The key to having smooth shifts and smooth starts was to do everything slowly.
I won't do that though :) Engaging the clutch slowly in first gear so its extremely smooth causes the car to accelerate at the rate of a diesel concrete truck. I like to accelerate faster than automatics so I usually just pullout to the sweet spot and then give it alot of gas and take my foot off the clutch completely. It's jerky but I get a normal acceleration from it. Every once in awhile I'll rev while in neutral and hten dump the clutch for a really fast acceleration start but I don't make a habit of that.
I can shift pretty smooth if I want to, I learned to drive a stick back in 1993 when I was 14, my dad gave me his 1987 Ford Escort GL (Gold). I had a restrictled Kansas license (was legal at that time, not anymore) One day my dad said, "you are driving yourself to work today BY yourself" and I had a choice of getting it right... or wrecking...lol In the Army I had a 1997 S10 truck 5 spd, and I also drove duece and a half trcks, 5 ton trucks, and then semi tucks for the Army when I wasnt working on them. You think a 5 spd is bad, try 18...lol with a torqe splitter, high and low range. Needless to say when I bought my mustang I drove it off the lot as if I had owned it for 5 yrs...lol sweet and smooth. I cant wait to hit that Wichita International Raceway 1/4 mile strip and put my shift to a REAL test. :)
_____________________________
2006 Mustang Deluxe w/Wheel Spinners Black Clearcoat 4.0L V6 True Duals with GT take off mufflers 5 Speed Manual Helix Power Tower TBS
anyone have a clutch stop installed? I heard they help alot. Its just a screw you put on the clutch pedal to remove any play, so that eveyr time you push the clutch, it engages. I hear they are great. and cheap.
My shifts are warm and smooth, like a laminated baby's bottom. A passenger once told me they could barely tell I was driving stick.
You need to be extremely slow with the clutch for smooth starts. The way I finally figured it out was by telling myself to hold the clutch in position as it starts to catch, then move it all the way out after the engine pitch stabilizes.
I actually bought this car brand new without knowing how to drive stick. The key to having smooth shifts and smooth starts was to do everything slowly.
I drove two Civics for around 140k miles, those things are the easiest sticks in the world to drive. You simply cannot help but drive those smoothly. My sixxer had an auto, but the GT is a stick and it drives most decidedly un-Civic-like and I wouldn't have it any other way It's got a noisy throwout bearing & gearbox and it's tough to feather the clutch; it reminds me a lot of my old '69 Cougar Eliminator that had a toploader 4 speed in it. But that's exactly what I wanted, the feel of an old musclecar.
Printable Version
How smooth are you with your manual? - 
RE: How smooth are you with your manual? - 
It's got a noisy throwout bearing & gearbox and it's tough to feather the clutch; it reminds me a lot of my old '69 Cougar Eliminator that had a toploader 4 speed in it. But that's exactly what I wanted, the feel of an old musclecar.
